game engine Archives

AppWizard

May 19, 2025

NVIDIA DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation and Other RTX Updates Shown Off for Upcoming and Existing PC Games

NVIDIA's DLSS 4 technology is integrated into over 125 games and applications. Portal with RTX has upgraded from DLSS 3.5 to DLSS 4, improving performance with the GeForce RTX 5090 achieving an average of 277 frames per second. Roadcraft will launch with DLSS Frame Generation, DLSS Super Resolution, and DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation, running at over 250 frames per second on the RTX 5090. SplitGate 2 will fully integrate DLSS 4 technologies in its Open Beta, while NARAKA: Bladepoint will receive a path tracing update, showcasing approximately 350 frames per second. F1 25 will launch on May 24 with DLSS 4 technologies, and Dune: Awakening will feature these technologies in early June. MindsEye will launch on June 10 with full DLSS 4 support, followed by Remedy's FBC: Firebreak on June 17. Wuchang: Fallen Feathers will launch on July 24 with complete DLSS technologies but without ray tracing. inZOI will receive a DLSS 4 update in August. Horizon 'clone' Light of Motiram runs at over 400 frames per second with DLSS 4 technologies. Crimson Desert will incorporate DLSS 4 technologies and ray-traced effects, aiming for high-quality graphics and smooth gameplay.

AppWizard

May 1, 2025

The Story Of Ecstatica, The Groundbreaking Survival Horror With Plenty Of Balls

In the early 1990s, the video game industry was transitioning from 2D to 3D gaming, with titles like Star Fox and Doom emerging. The small UK studio, founded by Andrew Spencer and Alain Maindron, released the groundbreaking game Ecstatica in 1994 after five years of development. Spencer created a unique game engine using ellipsoid graphics, which provided a lifelike quality to characters, inspired by traditional animation techniques. The game received an 8/10 rating from EDGE magazine for its emotional engagement. Spencer expressed ambitions for sequels using his innovative engine to explore new gaming landscapes, but challenges, including the departure of key personnel, led to the shelving of the sequel. Spencer later shifted his career towards academia and research, hinting at ongoing ideas for new projects that have not materialized.

AppWizard

April 26, 2025

Oblivion Remastered PC: impressive modernisation blighted by dire performance problems

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered utilizes an Unreal Engine 5 wrapper to enhance the original game, but it carries over some of the original's issues and suffers from significant performance challenges, including frequent stuttering. Digital Foundry analyzed the remaster against the original 2006 version, highlighting advancements in graphics but also noting that the remaster struggles with limited polygon budgets and basic effects. The remaster's performance is inconsistent, especially on mid-range CPUs, leading to poor experiences even on high-end hardware. Disabling hardware RT-based Lumen global illumination can improve performance by about 35%, but at the cost of visual quality. Lowering settings yields only marginal performance improvements, and the game fails to deliver an attractive experience compared to the original. A recent patch did not resolve the stuttering issues, indicating that fundamental CPU-related problems remain unaddressed.

BetaBeacon

March 14, 2025

Here’s how Google is making it easier for developers to port PC games to Android

Vulkan is now the official graphics API for Android, providing developers with more direct control over the GPU and improved performance in multi-threaded applications. Over 85% of active Android phones now support Vulkan, making it the preferred graphics API. Additionally, Google has partnered with Unity Technologies to make Vulkan integration easier with the Unity game engine and has collaborated with MediaTek to optimize the Android Dynamic Performance Framework for MediaTek chips.

AppWizard

March 6, 2025

Is Unreal Engine 5 still too advanced for PC games?

Unreal Engine 5 is becoming the preferred game engine for many studios due to its innovative features, but it presents performance challenges, especially on personal computers. Major consoles like PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S handle it well, while advanced gaming laptops struggle with resource-intensive features like Nanite and Lumen, leading to inconsistent visuals and performance issues. Bryan Heemskerk from Moore's Law is Dead noted that Unreal Engine 5 was "two GPU generations off being performant" at launch and highlighted the advantages of consoles' dedicated I/O controllers over PCs, which face data bottlenecks. He suggested that the upcoming Nvidia GeForce RTX 6000 series could improve performance by 2026 or 2027. While Unreal Engine 5 offers capabilities for intricate technical art and lifelike character movements, developers not fully utilizing its latest features might benefit from older engine versions. Epic Games is aware of these performance challenges and has introduced updates to address shader compilation issues, although these solutions may require additional developer intervention. There is also a call within the gaming community for optimization efforts that align with current hardware capabilities.

AppWizard

February 13, 2025

Minecraft Engine Ported To GameCube & Dreamcast

The Flock of Meese's engine is designed to revitalize older gaming consoles like the Dreamcast, GameCube, and Wii by replicating the mechanics of Minecraft Beta 1.7.3 and evolving into a unique block-based game. The Dreamcast version operates at 30 FPS, while the GameCube version achieves 60 FPS, demonstrating performance optimization despite hardware limitations. The project aims to push programming boundaries and explore classic gaming systems, with plans for a distinct PC version that utilizes modern technology. Key features include optimized performance for older hardware, faithful replication of Minecraft mechanics, unique gameplay experiences, and enhanced graphics for the PC version.

AppWizard

February 12, 2025

Kotick: EA’s Riccitiello was “worst CEO” in games

Bobby Kotick, the former CEO of Activision Blizzard, referred to John Riccitiello, the former CEO of Electronic Arts, as the "worst CEO" in the gaming sector during an episode of the Grit show. Kotick mentioned that there had been multiple discussions about potential mergers between EA and Activision Blizzard, noting that EA had attempted to buy Activision Blizzard several times. He acknowledged that EA's business model was sometimes stronger than that of Activision Blizzard. Riccitiello joined EA in 1997 as president and COO, returned as CEO in 2007, and left in 2013 after poor financial results. He later became the CEO of Unity and departed in 2023 amid controversy. Riccitiello made provocative comments about developers in an interview, contributing to his polarizing reputation in the industry.

AppWizard

February 7, 2025

Game Development Software Market to Grow by USD 70.7 Billion from 2025-2029, Driven by PC Games and Gaming Consoles Demand, with AI Impact

The global game development software market is projected to grow by USD 70.7 billion from 2025 to 2029, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 5.8%. This growth is driven by increased demand for PC games and gaming consoles, as well as the rising popularity of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) games. Key players in the market include Adobe Inc., Amazon.com Inc., Electronic Arts Inc., Epic Games Inc., and Unity Technologies Inc. Emerging trends include cross-platform development and the adoption of DevOps practices. Challenges include the rise of open-source game development software, high development costs, technical compatibility issues, and the resource-intensive nature of continuous updates. The game engine segment is significant for game design, development, and testing. Technavio provides insights into market trends and opportunities in the gaming software sector.

Tech Optimizer

December 26, 2024

“I went through hell” Japanese indie dev on how their game was wrongly flagged as a virus, and blocked on Steam

A Japanese indie developer, Shiromofu Factory, launched the game Dungeon Antiqua on October 10, 2024. The game, inspired by early Final Fantasy and Wizardry titles, is available on Windows and macOS and has received a Very Positive review status on Steam. After a December 6 update, users reported virus warnings from antivirus programs like Norton, Avast, and McAfee, which were triggered by the game's use of the Pyxel engine and Pyinstaller for executable files. The developer advised users to exclude the game's .exe file from scans, but on December 12, Steam blocked the game from sale due to multiple virus reports. The developer requested a rollback to an earlier version, which prevented future updates. They purchased Norton Antivirus for testing and attempted various solutions, including filing reports with antivirus companies and considering a code signing certificate. They identified that the use of Python’s “os.remove()” function contributed to the false alerts and implemented a workaround. However, antivirus software retained memory of flagged files, causing continued blocks. Ultimately, flipping the fairy image associated with the game’s file by 180 degrees allowed Dungeon Antiqua to bypass the antivirus barriers and resume updates.

AppWizard

November 30, 2024

Crysis 3 source code has reportedly been leaked a decade after launch — Crysis 3 mods incoming?

The source code of Crysis 3 has been leaked to a prominent code leaker and researcher known as @SvenTek_667, as reported by @vxunderground. This leak occurred nearly nine years and nine months after the game's initial launch in February 2013, and three years after the release of its Remastered version. The original Crysis trilogy faced performance issues on older hardware, while the Remastered versions improved the experience. The non-Remastered Crysis Trilogy has been removed from Steam. The leak may benefit mod developers by providing access to the game's internal mechanics, though legal challenges remain. The likelihood of a new game resulting from this leak is low, as previous leaks have already revealed insights into CryEngine 3, and the latest version, CryEngine 5.7.1, was released in 2022.